Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

#I 1. Homogenous quadratic equation in two variables. Let us consider the general

equation:
ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 = 0
(1)
Multiplying throughout by a, we write in the following form

(a2 x2 + 2ahxy + h2 y 2 ) (h2 ab)y 2 = 0

n
on
o

(ax + hy) + y h2 ab (ax + hy) y h2 ab = 0

This equation is saisfied by the coordinates of all points which make the first of these brackets zero,
and also by the coordinates of those points that make the second bracket zero, i.e. by all the points
which satisfy the following two equations:

p
p
and ax + y h h2 ab = 0
ax + y h + h2 ab = 0
But the above two equations represent straight lines passing through the origin.
Hence, we conclude that Eq. (1) represents a pair of straight lines passing through the origin of
the xy-coordinate plane whose equations are
p
ax + hy + y h2 ab = 0
(2)
p
and
ax + hy y h2 ab = 0
(3)
These two straight lines are real and different if h2 > ab, real and coincident if h2 = ab, and
imaginary if h2 ab.
In the case, when h2 < ab, the straight lines, though themselves imaginary, intersect in a real
point: the origin.
#I 2. An equation such as (1), which is such that in each of the term the sum of the exponent
of x and y is the same, is called a homogenous equation. Thus, the equation given by Eq. (1) is
a homogenous equation of second degree, since in each term the sum of the exponents add up to 2.
Similarly, the expression
3x3 + 4x2 y 5xy 2 + 9y 3
is a homogenous expression expression of third degree. However, the expression
3x3 + 4x2 y 5xy 2 + 9y 3 7xy
is not homogenous (why??).
Hence, from 1 it follows that a homogenous equation of the second degree represents two straight
lines, real and distinct, coincident, or imaginary.

Anant Kumar

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Mob. No. 9932347531

Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

#I 3. Angle between the pair of lines. The axes being rectangular, to find the angle between
the straight lines given by Eq. (1) i.e. the equation
ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 = 0
Let the separate equations of the two lines be
y m1 x = 0

and

y m2 x = 0

(4)

so that Eq. (1) must be equivalent to

b(y m1 x)(y m2 x) = 0

(5)

Equating the coefficients of xy and x2 in Eq. (1) and Eq. (5), we have
b(m1 + m2 ) = 2h,

and

bm1 m2 = a,

and

m1 m2 =

so that

2h
,
b
If be the angle between the lines Eq. (4), then
m1 + m2 =

m1 m2
tan =
=
1 + m1 m2
r
4h2 4a

b2
b
=
a
1+
b

2 h2 ab
tan =
a+b

a
b

(m1 + m2 )2 4m1 m2
1 + m1 m2

(6)

Thus, the required angle is found.

#I 4. From Eq. (6), the following two results follow:
1. If a + b = 0, then tan is undefined and hence = 90 ; the straight lines are therefore
perpendicular.
Hence, two straight lines, represented by one equation, are at right angles if the algebraic sum
of the coefficients of x2 and y 2 be zero.
For example, the equations
x2 y 2 = 0

and

6x2 + 11xy 6y 2 = 0

both represent pair of straight lines at right angles.

2. If h2 = ab, the value of tan is zero and hence is zero. The angle between the straight line
is zero and, since they both pass through the origin, they are therefore coincident.

This may be directly seen from the origin. Indeed, if h2 = ab, i.e. h = ab, it may be
written

2
ax2 2 ab xy + by 2 = 0
x ay b =0
which is two coincident straight lines.

Anant Kumar

study circle for iitjee & aieee

Mob. No. 9932347531

Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

y
B

L2
A
2

L1
x

M1

1
A0
M2
B0

Figure 1: Angle between a pair of straight lines.

#I 5. Angle bisectors. To find the equation of the pair of straight lines bisecting the angle
between the pair of lines given by Eq. (1) i.e. the equation
ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 = 0
Let the Eq. (1) represent the two straight lines L1 OM1 and L2 OM2 inclined at angles 1 and 2 to
the x axis, so that Eq. (1) is equivalent to
b(y x tan 1 )(y x tan 2 ) = 0
Hence,

2h
and
b
Let OA and OB be the required bisectors. Since
tan 1 + tan 2 =

tan 1 tan 2 =

a
b

AOL1 = L2 OA,

AOX 1 = 2 AOX.

2AOX = 1 + 2

Also, BOX = 90 + AOX. Therefore, 2BOX = 180 + 1 + 2 .

Hence, if stand for either of the angles AOX or BOX, we have
tan 2 = tan(1 + 2 ) =

tan 1 + tan 2
2h
=
1 tan 1 tan 2
ba

y
But, if (x, y) be the coordinates of any point on either of the lines OA or OB, we have tan = .
x
Therefore, we have
2 tan
2h
= tan 2 =
=

ba
1 tan2

y
x = 2xy
x2 y 2
y2
1 2
x
2

Thus, the equation of the angle bisectors become

x2 y 2
xy
=
ab
h
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Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

general equation of the second degree

#I 6. The most general expression which contains terms involving x and y in a degree not
exceeding two, must contain terms involving x2 , xy, y 2 , x, y, and a constant.
The notation which is in general use for this expression is given by
ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 + 2gx + 2f y + c

(8)

This expression is known as the general expression of the second degree, and when equated to zero
is called the general equation of the second degree.
#I 7. In general, the general equation represents a curve locus. However, if a certain condition
holds between the coefficients of its terms it will represent a pair of straight lines. This condition is
derived next.
#I 8. To find the condition that the general equation of the second degree
ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 + 2gx + 2f y + c = 0

(9)

may represent two straight lines.

If we can break the left-hand side of Eq. (9) in to two factors, each of the first degree, then it will
represent two straight lines.
Writing Eq. (9) in descending powers of x and equating it to zero:
ax2 + 2x(hy + g) + by 2 + 2f y + c = 0
Solving this quadratic in x, we have:
x=

(hy + g)

(hy + g)2 a(by 2 + 2f y + c)

a

p
ax + hy + g = y 2 (h2 ab) + 2y(hg af ) + (g 2 ac)

or

(10)

From Eq. (10) we cannot obtain x in terms of y, involving only terms of the first degree, unless the
quantity under the radical sign must be a perfect square. The condition for this is
(gh af )2 = (h2 ab)(g 2 ac)

g 2 h2 2af gh + a2 f 2 = g 2 h2 abg 2 ach2 + a2 bc

Transposing and diving by a, we obtain

abc + 2f gh = af 2 + bg 2 + ch2

(11)

which is the required condition.

#I 9. To prove that a homogenous equation of the n-th degree represents n straight lines, real
or imaginary, which all pass through the origin.
Let the equation be
y n + a1 xy n1 + a2 x2 y n2 + a3 x3 y n3 + . . . + an xn = 0
On division by xn , it may be written
y n
x
Anant Kumar

+ a1

y n1
x

+ a2

y n2
x

+ . . . + an = 0

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Coordinate Geometry

Pair of Straight Lines

y
, and hence must have n roots. Let these roots be m1 ,
x
m2 , m3 , . . . , mn . Then Eq. (12) must be equivalent to the equation
y
y
y
y

m1
m2
m3
mn = 0
(13)
x
x
x
x
This is an equation of the n-th degree in

The Eq. (13) is satisfied by all points which satisfy the separate equations
y
y
y
y
m1 = 0,
m2 = 0,
m3 = 0, . . .
mn = 0
x
x
x
x
i.e. by all points that lie on the straight lines
y m1 x = 0, y m2 x = 0, y m3 x = 0, . . . , y mn x = 0,
all of which pass through the origin. Conversely, the coordinates of all the points which satisfy any
one of these n equations satisfy Eq. (9).
#I 10. To find the equation of the two straight lines joining the points in which the straight line
lx + my = n

(14)

ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 + 2gx + 2f y + c = 0

(15)

meets the locus whose equation is

The equation (14) may be written

lx + my
=1
(16)
n
The coordinates of the points in which the straight line meets the locus satisfy both equation (15)
and (16) and hence satisfy the equation

ax + 2hxy + by + 2(gx + f y)

lx + my
n

+c

lx + my
n

2
=0

(17)

Hence, Eq. (17) represents some locus which pass through the intersections of (15) and (16).
But since the Eq. (17) is homogenous of second degree, it represents two straight lines passing
through the origin. It must, therefore, represent the two straight lines joining the origin to the
intersection of (15) and (16).
#I 11. We know that in general an equation of the second degree represents a curve locus,
including as a particular case a pair of straight lines.
However, in some cases it will represent only isolated points. For example consider the equation
(x y + c)2 + (x + y c)2 = 0

(18)

We know that the sum of the squares of two quantities cannot be zero unless each of the squares is
individually zero. The only real points that satisfy Eq. (18) therefore satisfy both the equations
xy+c=0

and x + y c = 0.

But the only solution of these two equations is

x=0

and y = c

The only real points represented by Eq. (18) is therefore (0, c).
Anant Kumar

study circle for iitjee & aieee

Mob. No. 9932347531